BookSirens ARC: Sometimes When I'm Sad

 

I received a free digital ARC via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is absolutely stunning, incredibly beautiful, and exactly what our little ones need when they know/feel something is 'wrong', but they don't have the words yet to explain it.

I really hate when people say, "Don't worry, kids are resilient." While this is most often true, they shouldn't HAVE to be. Kids should not have to overcome trauma and bounce back from horrible events and circumstances. But they do, and far too often. So, unfortunately, we need books like this to help them cope.

Mental illness is very real, even among our youngest in our population. This book will do wonders in the right hands, letting children know their feelings are valid, whatever those feelings may be. Kids need strategies to deal with big emotions in a time when adults are needing the same things. If we can't cope, and overcome, we can not grow and move forward.

The book provides wonderful tools for adults as well, in how to help our children, to understand the difference between being sad and depression, and what we can do to make sure our children know we are here for them. Adults are given an overview of signs to look for when it might be something more than sadness. I feel like this is a must-have for any adults who work with children, especially psychologists, school counselors, and teachers. I will definitely be buying a copy for Eleanor, so she always knows that she can rest in whatever emotion she is feeling, feel it all the way through to the end, and then put it away once it has been dealt with properly.

What I really love about the book is exactly just what I envision and hope for for Eleanor. Sadness is a common, complex emotion. Telling kids to just smile and be happy is just about the worst thing one can do. Children internalize that, wonder what is wrong with them because they don't feel happy even when it looks like everyone else is, and those feelings of insecurity grow.

Sadness is completely embraced here, and given its space to just be. We need to learn how to also just sit and be with that sadness, or any other emotion. It is a hard skill to teach children, but is so critical for their emotional and mental health.

In the story, a young boy is dealing with some feelings and he doesn't yet know how to express those feelings in constructive ways. He hides often hides, or throws his toys. Treats and gifts do not help him deal with the emotions he is feeling. He then meets a counselor who gives the child different ways to help manage his sadness/depression and cope with this big, overwhelming feelings. He uses these throughout the remainder of the story. He says at the end that he still cries sometimes, but not for long because now he knows ways to help himself feel better. He is shown creative ways to create outlets for himself, and these are simple things that can be used by everyone, not just children - confiding in someone we know cares deeply for us, knowing they will not judge us or dismiss our feelings, is so so important for children especially.